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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · lash · spring · mine · degree · bank · mug · vault

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — to breed
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — for digging
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com